No new clothing for five years!

[Molly]

I visited a friend I haven't seen for awhile. She travels a lot and when I visited her she was mending a tee shirt. She told me she hasn't bought any new clothing for five years! No wonder she has money to travel.

I would have thrown that tee shirt out. But she has inspired me. I took a "one year without buying any clothing" challenge about 7 years ago, but have really fallen off the wagon after that.

If my weight stays the same, I could easily make it five years on what I own. The challenge is, can I do it? Can I even do a year again? I would love to travel more with that money.

It's really pretty simple in theory. Like dieting. Don't take in more calories than you expend. Don't buy any new clothing for five years. Yet hard in practice.

Has anyone done such a challenge? Tell me your stories!

[mschrisgo2]

I went this whole last school year (teacher) without buying any clothes. I knew I was retiring in June, the school I was in was terribly casual, and it literally rained all year. Jeans, tees, sweaters, raincoat, all year. I did buy a jacket on-line, and sent it back, as it looked cute in the picture but was very flimsy and rather ugly IRL. Oh, i did buy one pair of shoes, but no clothes. It's finally summer, and I don't see any reason to buy any clothes now so it will have been at least a year by the time I get anything new.

[Yppej]

When my mother retired she pretty much stopped buying clothes. She developed a foot condition and had to buy special socks, but that has been about it. Her friends and their family members have been dying so she is the recipient of a lot of clothes.

I could not foresee myself doing this because I am unintentionally rough on clothes, I guess, and they just wear out despite my efforts. I generally avoid the stain magnet color white, anything fragile like spaghetti straps, etc, but maybe I am buying too cheap a quality of garments because I feel like my casualty rate is still high.

This year I have also gone up a size. How many of you keep clothes in the hope you will fit into them again? While I am always trying to lose weight I would probably have to get cancer or something to make it into some of the things I am holding onto. Frugality or decluttering?

[Molly]

How many of you keep clothes in the hope you will fit into them again?

I have kept either favorites or something that I've spent a lot on. I gave up all hope of ever getting back into my size 8 NYDJ Jeans, but I spent a lot on them so I hung on. Then my doctor put me on the Mito Food Plan because of chronic joint pain and I lost 12 pounds in two months. I'm so glad I kept those jeans because they would be expensive to replace. I'm keeping my size 10/12's in case I go back up.

[SteveinMN]

This year I have also gone up a size. How many of you keep clothes in the hope you will fit into them again? While I am always trying to lose weight I would probably have to get cancer or something to make it into some of the things I am holding onto. Frugality or decluttering?
Declutter. I did that for years. The clothes clogged up my closet and did not serve as an incentive; only as a reminder that I still hadn't lost weight. On the other hand, I didn't have anything particularly nice or beloved. Maybe that would make a difference.

As it happens, I've lost about 25 pounds in the last 8-9 months. I had to buy new jeans because the old ones looked like tents and didn't stay up. I need to buy a new belt, too, but have gotten by with putting new holes in the old one. The price in stores of a strip of leather shocks me still and I haven't yet found a suitable one at a thrift store. So I get by. Donating old clothes and having to buy new is not frugal as such. But it has been a better incentive for me to keep up the good work when I realize I had to buy jeans two sizes smaller. In the long run, that may be less expensive.

[JaneV2.0]

I.. my doctor put me on the Mito Food Plan because of chronic joint pain and I lost 12 pounds in two months. I'm so glad I kept those jeans because they would be expensive to replace. I'm keeping my size 10/12's in case I go back up.

I'm surprised I'd never heard of the Mito Food Plan, as when I looked it up I found it to be ketogenic, and similar to the Wahl's Protocol (Minding My Mitochondria). Has it helped? I've read accounts of ketogenic diets clearing up all kinds of conditions.

"The gene that turns on BDNF production is activated by several factors. These include calorie restriction, curcumin
(a spice), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid), intermittent fasting, exercise, intellectual stimulation,
and meditation. Additionally, a state of ketosis, brought on by eating a diet lower in carbohydrates, appears to provide
the most efficient fuel for the mitochondria and activate BDNF. Conversely, the standard American diet (SAD),
obesity, and elevated blood sugar actually lower levels of BDNF."

[Simplemind]

When I was working we had a semi uniform of an office logo polo over a limited style of pants. When not working I was basically in work out clothes. I rarely needed to spend on anything other than underwear. Since retiring I have invested in some travel clothing and some other out and about clothing. So I'm kind of backwards in that regard. I have never really been into clothes and probably only have about a little over a weeks worth before I have to do laundry. I admire people with wardrobes but I'm too simple for that.

[Molly]

I'm surprised I'd never heard of the Mito Food Plan, as when I looked it up I found it to be ketogenic, and similar to the Wahl's Protocol (Minding My Mitochondria). Has it helped? I've read accounts of ketogenic diets clearing up all kinds of conditions.
."

Jane - OMG has it ever helped! In addition to losing weight, my joint and muscle pain levels are WAY down. I measure my pain levels on the Advil scale. I had been taking up to 9 Advils a day. Now I am down to one or two.

[Tradd]

I really haven't bought many clothes for a couple of years now. Last year I bought a pair of jeans, a dress, a couple of t-shirts, and a bit of underwear/bras. That was it. I've lost weight and only one pair of jeans fits. Thank goodness my office is casual, so I live in jeans and some variety of t-shirt/tank with a cardigan over it year round. I have some dress clothes, but they don't get worn much and so have been good for a few years now. The money I saved has gone into dive gear. ;)

[Williamsmith]

I'm surprised I'd never heard of the Mito Food Plan, as when I looked it up I found it to be ketogenic, and similar to the Wahl's Protocol (Minding My Mitochondria). Has it helped? I've read accounts of ketogenic diets clearing up all kinds of conditions.

"The gene that turns on BDNF production is activated by several factors. These include calorie restriction, curcumin
(a spice), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid), intermittent fasting, exercise, intellectual stimulation,
and meditation. Additionally, a state of ketosis, brought on by eating a diet lower in carbohydrates, appears to provide
the most efficient fuel for the mitochondria and activate BDNF. Conversely, the standard American diet (SAD),
obesity, and elevated blood sugar actually lower levels of BDNF."

I added a link to the Mito Food Plan document .

http://drmariamaricich.com/clients/959/documents/Mito_Food_Plan_Comprehensive_Guide1.pdf

[freshstart]

I bop between two sizes so I kept my full wardrobe of one size down, stored in the basement. I'm currently trying to lose wt and I'm kind of kicking myself because even though I spent very little, I bought some things I really like over the past year. Hopefully, soon they'll be too big but I shouldn't have bought them in the first place. I didn't need them.

[Teacher Terry]

Since retiring I don't spend much on clothes at all. I also got rid of a bunch of clothes.

[pinkytoe]

I retired a little over a year ago and other than socks, I don't recall buying anything except a couple of thrift store T-shirts for gardening in. I wear nothing but jeans and tops these days.